29 His most precious treasure

Brown Private Manor

The entire manor house was in a mess. Every object had been turned upside down, without any show of mercy.

"Ah, my dear!" the old housekeeper was taken aback by the young master's abrupt entrance, "What are you looking for? I will find it for you."

"Her", Riley said as he pulled out something from underneath his bed. He smiled with satisfaction.

"H-huh?" the old housekeeper went numb with fear. Only God knows how did the piano become alive last time the young master mentioned 'her'.

The old man, then, saw that his young master was holding an old photo of a young girl in two pigtails. The photo looked as if it was torn from somewhere.

"This?" the old man pointed.

Riley just smiled before he spoke, "Go and call back at the main mansion saying that I will inherit the family business. But, under one condition."

"Wh-what?" the old housekeeper was served another knock for six when he heard this, "What did you say?"

"Just do as I say", Riley waved his hands as he focused on the photo in his hands. A devious smirk christened his face.

The old housekeeper kept glancing at him, hoping that he would stop him, saying that he was just kidding. But, he had already reached the poor handphone. He picked it up and looked at it with extreme sympathy.

'Don't blame me if you get broken later', the old housekeeper thought.

On second thought, he had plans to notify the hospital first. Who knows if the old man might get a heart attack or a brain stroke after receiving such a shocking piece of news?

"Just do it", Riley said as he descended the stairs after him. Then, he gave a light pat on the old man's shoulder.

The old man was so terrified that he started to get hiccups out of habit. He patted lightly on his chest as he tried to calm himself down. Seeing this, Riley shook his head and smiled. So, instead of the old housekeeper, he decided to call back at the main mansion himself.

He snatched the phone away from the old man's hand and sat down on the couch. Then, as elegant he was by nature, he sat there like a king on his throne. He called and it got through once. On the other end, it was his Ma by coincidence.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end was startled and baffled.

"It's me", said Riley with his swoon-worthy smile on, "I have something crucial to say." Anyone would know that he was grinning ear to ear, at the moment.

"Oh?" his Mom was stunned to hear the sugary sweet and warm voice, the cold son was speaking in, "What is it?"

"Help me tell Dad that I am ready to inherit his business. But under one condition", he spoke clearly, cutting all the nuisance craps in between.

"Yeah", his Ma was about to shake her head ninety times when she felt that she was knocked for a six, "What?!"

"I said", Riley's smile grew even wider at his Mom's ridiculous reaction, "I am ready to inherit the family business…"

"Under a condition?" Ma shut him up frivolously, "Am I right?"

"Yeah", Riley chortled, giving the old lady on the other end, severe goosebumps.

"State the price", a deep voice was heard from the other end. It was obvious that it was not the old lady. It was his Pa instead, the old patriarch.

Riley's warm smile turned cold as he snorted with derision, "Price? I am sitting on the Koh-I-Noor throne."

"What do you want?" the voice on the other end was equally cold and bone-piercing.

"I don't want any media publicity about it", Riley said with a straight face, vacant of any emotions.

"Fine", the line was cut off.

Riley's face darkened a few shades. But when his eyes fell on the young girl with a bright smile and two pigtails, his gaze softened.

His mind rushed back to the happenings of a particular day. That day, the girl who was known other than his beloved Sara had come running to him, her adorable face soaked and messed in tears.

What a heart-wrenching scene it was! He felt that his heart had shattered into a million pieces. He clearly remembered that he had sent Sister Jenny away to cancel a live performance that day.

When he approached her, she had jumped into his embrace and sobbed until her tears dried. When he asked for the reason behind her distressed state, he got a dejected reply.

"We will be moving out tomorrow", she said as she kept sobbing beside him.

He could only sigh and ask, "Can't you just stay back here? With me?"

She had just shrugged and shook her head feebly.

"What if I just… don't let you go?" he had asked desperately.

"And how are you going to make this one out?" she had said, smiling through her tears.

"You could… you could stay in our basement", he had said, in a jiffy.

"And your dad would love that?" she had said, as he had tried to brush away her tears.

"I… I could hide you in a tent, like Mr. Bunny… in that… stupid story of yours did for his… for his Little Bunny", he had asked as he held her soft, warm hands in his own and had pulled her closer to him. All out of desperation and for his devastated heart.

"Hey! This is going to be okay", she had said, squeezing his hands, and leaning her forehead into his.

He had pulled her into a desperate bear hug, pleading, "Please?"

In reply, she had tossed him another question. "If I get lost someday, you will find me, right"

"I will find you. I promise, I will", he had said, while he gave a peck on her cheek.

"Promise?" she had asked in a quiet, muffled voice.

"Promise", he had said, while holding onto her palms and staring deep into her bright, glistened eyes.

Thus, she gave a peck in return. As a token of their true love, he had torn their only photograph together and had said, "You keep mine. I will keep yours."

She had nodded as she took his photo while he had kept hers. It was still treasured. His most precious treasure.